[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 15 (Monday, February 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1347-S1349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HARKIN:
  S. 373. A bill to amend the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 
2002 to provide for a program to develop and demonstrate the cost-
effective operation of a fleet of renewable

[[Page S1348]]

hydrogen passenger vehicles; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, over the past several years, among the 
most challenging issues for this Congress has been reform of the 
Nation's energy policy.
  Despite rising fuel costs and growing dependence on imported oil, 
despite evidence of global warming and concerns about the quality of 
our air and water, despite all the recent advances in renewable energy 
technology, we hobble along on an energy policy that is more than a 
decade out of date.
  Fortunately, there are several initiatives in energy policy on which 
there is wide bipartisan support.
  Perhaps the best example of an idea on which there is solid agreement 
is the importance of developing our hydrogen economy.
  Hydrogen has the potential to transform completely the way we think 
of transportation, with vehicles that consume no foreign oil, spew no 
smog, no toxic emissions, and zero greenhouse gases. But only if we 
make it the right way.
  You see, to get energy out of hydrogen, first you have to make it. 
And the way we make it is going to make all the difference to our 
energy future.
  Right now, the main way we make hydrogen is from natural gas.
  Natural gas is a clean-burning fuel, but its price is volatile. And 
as a fossil fuel, it is a finite resource and releases carbon dioxide 
and other greenhouse gases when burned.
  Ultimately, we hope to form hydrogen from pollution-free water, using 
wind or solar energy to extract the hydrogen--the H2--from the H2O. But 
this technology is still too expensive to make a significant 
contribution to our energy needs today.
  Thanks to research at some of the country's leading institutions, 
including those in my state of Iowa, a cost-effective technology is now 
available to produce hydrogen from another clean, renewable energy 
source: one that we grow right here at home.
  Hydrogen can now be formed from ethanol made entirely from corn and 
other agricultural products grown right here on American farms.
  Ethanol is an increasingly important source of fuel. It is made from 
corn and other agricultural products from farms throughout the Midwest 
and increasingly in other parts of the country. It is manufactured in 
plants scattered across rural America, and has become one of the most 
important value-added enterprises for our rural economies.

  Today, ethanol is made from corn, as well as from crop residues, 
stalks, and other low-cost biomass.
  By blending ethanol into conventional gasoline we reduce our 
dependence on foreign oil, support rural economies, and make a cleaner-
burning fuel. But even blended fuel produces some pollution, and we 
still depend on imported oil for the gasoline component.
  A vital next step is to begin using ethanol to make hydrogen. 
Hydrogen from ethanol produces little in the way of pollution. Whatever 
carbon dioxide is released gets absorbed by next year's crop as it 
grows; and it's possibly the most economical way to make renewable 
hydrogen for the foreseeable future.
  Imagine hydrogen ``Made in the USA'' from crops ``Grown in the USA'' 
with generating facilities in rural communities in desperate need of 
jobs and economic growth.
  So why aren't all of our cars being converted to run on renewable 
farm-based hydrogen? As we all know, the fuel cells needed to convert 
that hydrogen efficiently into usable energy are still years from being 
commercially ready.
  However, hydrogen-powered internal combustion hybrid electric engines 
have been developed that can achieve over 90 percent of the 
environmental benefits and 100 percent of the reduced oil import 
benefits of fuel cells, and this technology is ready for demonstration 
right now.
  American businesses are ready to show the world that hydrogen can be 
produced from clean, farm-based renewable sources, and that renewable 
hydrogen can be used as a fuel for our cars and trucks.
  As we debate the bigger picture of our Nation's energy policy, we 
have the opportunity to make a small investment with huge potential.
  Now is the time for a renewable hydrogen transportation demonstration 
program.
  I am introducing the Renewable Hydrogen Passenger Vehicle Act of 2005 
to provide a testing ground for renewable farm-based hydrogen 
transportation technology. We need to get renewable hydrogen production 
out into fueling stations, where it can be put through its paces, 
analyzed and improved for the day when fuel cells arrive, so we can 
supply our fuel cells with clean, renewable hydrogen right from day 
one.
  This bill would authorize $5 million over three years to develop and 
demonstrate the cost-effective operation of a small hydrogen-from-
ethanol reformer and a fleet of at least 10 internal combustion hybrid 
electric vehicles converted to run on that hydrogen.
  The program would allow investors, manufacturers and entrepreneurs to 
see first-hand that clean renewable hydrogen can be cost-effectively 
produced from farm-based fuels; that the technology to run our vehicles 
on renewable hydrogen is here and ready to deploy; and that renewable 
hydrogen is ready for the day that fuel cell vehicles arrive in local 
showrooms.
  The successful demonstration will help stimulate development of 
hydrogen fueling systems at existing gasoline fueling stations to 
convert ethanol to hydrogen onsite, thereby significantly accelerating 
the adoption of super-clean domestic renewable hydrogen as an 
alternative to gasoline made from imported oil.
  It includes monitoring of emissions and fuel economy data, quick 
start-up and rapid deployment--all for a tiny fraction of the funds 
already being invested in fuel cell research.
  This is not a large or costly initiative, but it is one that has the 
potential to take us a big step towards a clean, renewable hydrogen-
based economy. I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 373

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Renewable Hydrogen Passenger 
     Vehicle Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. RENEWABLE HYDROGEN TRANSPORTATION DEMONSTRATION 
                   PROGRAM.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) reductions in local air pollution, greenhouse gas 
     emissions, and oil imports resulting from the introduction of 
     vehicles with gasoline-powered internal combustion hybrid 
     electric engines will be only temporary, as improved fuel 
     economy of the hybrid vehicles is offset by increases in 
     vehicle miles traveled;
       (2) direct substitution of farm-based renewable fuels for 
     gasoline in gasoline-powered internal combustion hybrid 
     electric engines will result in further reductions in local 
     air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and oil imports;
       (3) for permanent reductions in criteria pollutants, 
     greenhouse gas emissions, and oil imports, Congress should 
     establish as a national goal the development of renewable 
     hydrogen as a clean effective energy carrier;
       (4) the development of vehicles powered by hydrogen derived 
     from domestic renewable resources such as ethanol, energy 
     crops, agricultural waste, landfill gas, municipal solid 
     waste, wind power, and solar electricity, will--
       (A) substantially and permanently reduce local air 
     pollution and greenhouse gas emissions;
       (B) improve the energy security of the United States; and
       (C) create domestic jobs;
       (5) notwithstanding paragraph (4), as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the fuel cell technology required to 
     make the most efficient use of renewable hydrogen is too 
     costly and has not achieved the reliability necessary for 
     consumer acceptance in the near term;
       (6) in the near term (before affordable and reliable fuel 
     cell vehicles are developed), hydrogen-powered internal 
     combustion engine hybrid electric vehicles have been 
     developed that can achieve more than 90 percent of the 
     environmental benefits and 100 percent of the oil import 
     reduction benefits of fuel cell vehicles;
       (7) in addition to robust research and development for fuel 
     cell vehicles, a program to develop and demonstrate renewable 
     hydrogen production and distribution technology is justified;
       (8) reforming ethanol at a vehicle fueling station may be 
     the least costly method of producing renewable hydrogen;
       (9) a low cost renewable hydrogen vehicle demonstration 
     program that will yield valuable information regarding an 
     interim transition strategy of using hydrogen-powered 
     internal combustion engine hybrid electric

[[Page S1349]]

     vehicles to pave the way for fuel cell vehicles once fuel 
     cell vehicles become affordable and reliable can be 
     implemented in 1 year; and
       (10) the introduction of commercial hydrogen internal 
     combustion engine hybrid electric vehicles can provide the 
     economic incentives to help stimulate development of hydrogen 
     fueling systems at existing gasoline fueling stations to 
     convert ethanol to hydrogen onsite, thereby significantly 
     accelerating the adoption of super-clean renewable hydrogen 
     as an alternative to gasoline made from imported crude oil.
       (b) Program.--Section 9007 of the Farm Security and Rural 
     Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following:
       ``(c) Demonstration Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy, in coordination 
     with the Secretary, shall conduct a 3-year program to develop 
     and demonstrate the cost-effective operation of a fleet of at 
     least 10 direct hydrogen passenger vehicles based on existing 
     commercial technology under which the hydrogen is derived 
     from ethanol or other domestic low-cost transportable 
     renewable feedstocks.
       ``(2) Goals.--The goals of the program shall include--
       ``(A) demonstrating the cost-effective conversion of 
     ethanol or other low-cost transportable renewable feedstocks 
     to pure hydrogen suitable for eventual use in proton exchange 
     membrane fuel cell vehicles at 1 or more local fueling 
     stations, including hydrogen compression and storage 
     necessary to fill vehicle tanks to their operational 
     pressure, using existing commercial reforming technology or 
     modest modifications of existing technology to reform ethanol 
     or other low-cost transportable renewable feedstocks into 
     hydrogen;
       ``(B) converting 10 or more commercially available internal 
     combustion engine hybrid electric passenger vehicles to 
     operate on hydrogen;
       ``(C) installing and operating an ethanol reformer or 
     reformer of another low-cost transportable renewable 
     feedstock (including onsite hydrogen compression, storage, 
     and dispensing) at the facilities of a fleet operator not 
     later than 1 year after commencement of the program;
       ``(D) operating the 10 or more hydrogen internal combustion 
     engine hybrid electric vehicles for a period of 2 years; and
       ``(E) collecting emissions and fuel economy data on the 10 
     hydrogen-powered vehicles over various operating conditions 
     and weather conditions.
       ``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
     $5,000,000.''.
                                 ______